The leap from sports to fashion is not a great one. Plenty of athletes want to look good when they are playing, and there is, of course, plenty of evidence that they do look good. Some also take it a step further, getting involved in fashion, both on the design side and the business side.
There is certainly no guarantee of success, as fashion can be just as difficult to succeed in as elite-level sports. But many of the world’s best athletes have – and still do – tasted success in the world of fashion, making global brands and businesses, sometimes worth billions of dollars.
Below we list some of those athletes – both active and retired – who have conquered their sport and fashion.
Michael Jordan — Jordan Brand
We had to mention the gold standard first. The Jordan brand is one of the most important crossovers in history, and it’s about so much more than shoes. The iconography has made it one of the most culturally important symbols of fashion. Importantly, while Nike still owns “Jordan,” the brand and fashion house now operate independently.
Russell Westbrook — Honor the Gift
Westbrook is one of the NBA’s current athletes most involved in fashion, with notable success with his Honor the Gift brand, a streetwear label launched in 2017. The brand is rooted in his Los Angeles upbringing, with phrasing like “inner cities mentalities” plastered all over the website. It covers a wide range of casual wear for men. Pricing isn’t too inaccessible, either.
LeBron James — UNKNWN
LeBron is a co-founder of UNKNWN, alongside Jaron Kanfer and Frankie Walker Jr. King James is busy in the NBA postseason right now, with his Lakers team backed in the basketball playoffs betting, but the 41-year-old has built an underrated fashion brand, starting off as a high-end sneaker and “streetwear” store but evolving into something broader.
Dwyane Wade — Way of Wade
A bit of an underrated one here for our final NBA player. Wade’s partnership with Chinese sportswear giant Li-Ning goes beyond a normal shoe deal. Way of Wade is a signature brand covering basketball shoes, lifestyle footwear, clothing and accessories, with Wade remaining central to the brand’s identity after retirement. It’s not quite Jordan-level, but it’s popular in China.
Serena Williams — S by Serena
Serena has long used fashion as part of her sporting identity, and she later launched her own clothing line, S by Serena. The brand leans into inclusive fashion, everyday wear and female empowerment. It’s really Serena’s brand, and you can see her identity and beliefs infused into the clothing.
Venus Williams — EleVen by Venus Williams
We had to mention Serena’s sister, too. Venus founded EleVen, an activewear and tennis apparel brand. Like Serena, Venus was famous for wearing unique fashions – many outfits had her direct input on the design. Her fingerprints are all over this range.
Roger Federer — On
We aren’t sure exactly how much tennis legend Roger Federer is involved with the actual design of On clothing, but it’s clear he has influence as one of the main investors. The Swiss company designs sport clothing of elegance, something that Federer brought himself to the game of tennis.
Cristiano Ronaldo — CR7
The Portuguese soccer star is famous for his brand partnerships, but the “CR7” (his initials and shirt number) branding is in just about everything that can be commodified, from cryptocurrency to gyms to watches. His clothing line, especially men’s underwear, has been doing well. It comes from a partnership with JBS Textile Group, going for well over a dozen years.
Tom Brady — Brady Brand / NOBULL
Tom Brady launched BRADY Brand, a performance and lifestyle apparel line, in 2022. In 2024, his apparel brand and TB12 wellness company merged with sportswear company NOBULL, with Brady becoming a major shareholder in the combined business.
Lewis Hamilton — TommyXLewis
Hamilton has had a fashion role through TommyXLewis, his capsule collections with Tommy Hilfiger. The F1 star is seen as a bit of a thinker and one who is not afraid to speak his mind. Thus, a lot of his signature wears tend to be centered on themes like sustainability.
LL x
*This is a contributed post. As ever, all opinions are my own.
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